Originally published: New York : Knopf : Distributed by Random House, 1976

Includes bibliographical references (pages 325-328) and index

Part I: A pocketful of magic -- Life Divined from the inside -- "The Fisherman and the Jinny": Fairy Tale compared to fable -- Fairy Tale versus myth: Optimism versus pessimism -- "The Three Little Pigs": Pleasure principle versus reality principle -- The Child's need for magic -- Vicarious Satisfaction versus Conscious Recognition -- The importance of externalization: Fantasy figures and events -- Transformations: The fantasy of the wicked stepmother -- Bringing order into Chaos -- "The Queen Bee" : Achieving integration -- "Brother and Sister" : Unifying our Dual nature -- "Sinbad and the Seaman and Sindbad the Porter" : Fancy versus reality -- The frame story of Thousand and one Nights -- Tales of Two Brothers -- "The three Languages: : -- Building integration -- "The Three Feathers" The youngest child as Simpleton -- Oedipal Conflicts and Resolutions -- The Knight in Shining Armor and the Damsel in Distress -- Fear of Fantasy: Why were fairy tales outlawed? -- Transcending infancy with the help of Fantasy -- "The Goose Girl" : Achieving Autonomy -- Fantasy, Recovery, Escape and Consolation -- On the telling of Fairy Stories -- Part Two: In Fairy Land -- "Hansel and Gretel" -- "Little Red Riding Hood " -- "Jack and the Beanstalk: -- The jealous Queen in "Snow White" and the Myth of Oedipus -- "Snow White" -- Goldilocks and the Three bears" "the Sleeping Beauty" -- "Cinderella" -- The Animal-Groom Cycle of Fairy Tales

Argues the values fairy tales provide for children, allowing a safe way to deal with conflict at a young age

National Book Critics Circle Awards

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